Resurrecting Trash: Dan Phillips and the Phoenix Commotion

The Phoenix Commotion is a local building initiative created to prove that constructing homes with recycled and salvaged materials has a viable place in the building industry. This process uses only apprentice labor and teaches marketable skills to anyone with a work ethic who is willing to swing a hammer. By keeping labor costs low and using donated or found materials, the homes created are truly affordable. (www.phoenixcommotion.com) This book is an examination of the history of Phoenix Commotion and the philosopy of Dan Phillips, the prime mover of the enterprise. Here readers will be introduced to the major projects of Phillips and Phoenix Commotion: the story behind them and the specifics of these unique structures, complete with black-and-white and color plates.

The editors of this book--DONALD R. BATES, AMANDA DELLETT, CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ, JAKE GEBHARDT, DOUG HAINES, ANNA R. JENNINGS, DUSTIN LEVIEN, LAUREN McAULIFFE, MARGARET MILLER SELLERS--were all members of Paul Ruffin's 2011 Editing/Publishing Practicum. They researched, designed, and wrote all the copy for this book.